Homemade Halloween

As much as I like to sew, before recently I hardly ever sewed for myself. Kids clothes are just so much easier. They don't require a perfect fit and they're just tiny which makes them adorable. Adult clothes you have to be a little more careful with.

I've wanted to make my Halloween costume for a few years now but Halloween falls about mid semester when sh*t seems to hit the fan and it just doesn't happen. But I was bound and determined to make it happen this year. (side note: I really got DOUBLE handmade Halloween points this year because Jani wore the Dorothy costume I made for her sophomore year for Big/Little reveal! :) )

Our wonderful Catholic missionaries got me hooked on BBC's show "Call the Midwife" this semester (Studio time = lots of time to watch TV). It's a cute, feel-good show about midwives working in poor London in the 1950's. It's actually based off one of the nurse's memoirs which makes it even better! In one of the episodes, the protagonist, Nurse Lee, has to work in the London Hospital. One look at the uniforms and I was IN LOVE. How crazy that they actually wore couture nurse uniforms?

I debated whether people would get it but I loved it so much that I decided to just go for it and it was a huge hit :) Luckily this year, I went to three Halloween events so I'm glad it actually got some good use!

I wound up winning "Most Original Costume" at St. Michael's Halloween Hop (I think it was a function of a certain missionary bragging on me that I made it myself but I'll take awards where I can ;) ). I know I often joke with an over exaggerated self-confidence but really, I'm not one to go around and say "guess what? I made my costume!". It's weird…I love sewing which is really not normal for someone my age to say but surprisingly a lot of people thing it's really cool instead of nerdy (although I'm self-admitted nerd!) Anyway…

For the pattern, I used Rae's Washi Dress pattern and changed the neckline and added the sleeves and collar. I based my nurse hat loosely on a pattern that was originally too small.

And I made the executive decision to wear Uggs with my costume when I was going to be outside for the last two events I went to so the whole "sticking to the time period" thing went out the window. But who knows? Maybe they WERE secretly wearing Uggs then. You can't know for sure!

And for a last thought...I don't know when this "grown up" thing happened but sitting in the bar with Jani we realized we enjoyed wearing our more modest costumes and felt bad for the girls in their skimpy costumes that were just trying too hard. And the fact that we hadn't talked to any boys all night made it a good night :) 

**sorry about the iPhone but I'm a college student…I do what I can for pictures! :)

xoxo,

New to my Etsy Shop!

Hello everyone!

Long time no see. I know. Life gets busy and it's hard to sit down and actually write about the things I'm working on BUT today I'm updating to show you all a few new items I've added to my Etsy shop. Two of these booties were actually part of a custom order but they turned out so darling that I decided to list them in case anyone else was interested!

First up are the custom mascot/logo booties! This pair was made for the Red Sox and what great timing with them in the World Series! If you didn't already know I'm actually a Red Sox fan myself but I've been really bad about watching the games lately ;) #stillafan

And with that same listing I showed a few more pictures of other custom pairs that I've done as examples. Fun fact about these Notre Dame booties is that the gold thread I used (which is beautiful but a pain in the butt to use!) is actually from my great grandmother!

Sorry for the out of focus iPhone picture but I had to share these too because they're some of my all time favs because they're for Sacred Heart!

The next listing is for these koala booties. They actually are going out to Australia but they are so stinking cute they'd be great for any baby here too.

And the last new bootie design is for...monsters! Apparently monster fashion is a thing...who knew? And Fendi is up this is trend too with a bag starting at just $4,450. Christmas presents anyone ;) 

All jokes aside I really do love this pair of booties. They're definitely non-traditional and would be so fun for a boy (yay boy items!!!) or an awesome baby girl :)

The last new item in the store is a self-inking custom stamp. I've been having so much fun with making my labels pretty when I ship things out that I figured I should probably make a listing for them. They're perfect for a wedding or Christmas present :)

This sample stamp is heading over to my sister and JJ soon...for JJ's birthday present. I'm sure he's going to be thrilled ;) and I'm sorry for spoiling the surprise! #marriedlifepresents

So there you have it! What do you think? 

I'm thinking maybe I should improve my writing skills...perhaps less smilie faces and hashtags? Hmmm  maybe not :)

Super Online Sewing Bee Audition

Well...this is putting myself out there a little bit! Sew Mama Sew is hosting a sewing contest called the Super Online Sewing Bee and I'm entering :) I'm sure it would be a long shot for me to be accepted as one of the 10 contestants but who knows! You can read about the details of the contest here. It actually has been kind of fun going back through all of my sewing and trying to pick my best work as examples. I sent an e-mail with my application but I'm posting my audition pictures here as well. 

Without further ado...my sewing portfolio!

I made this dress for my sister's birthday and her Junior Ring Ceremony. She was playing tennis during this shoot but don't I have the most beautiful stand-in model?? (Store bought pattern)

Short alls for Collin's birthday. I monogrammed the "M" and used a tie for the bottom cuffs. (Self drafted pattern)

This was a gift for a friend's niece. I had so much fun with the fabric pairing. It's made out of knit fabric...perfect for kids! (Lil Blue Boo dress pattern)

Linen tunic with cotton accents. You have to love the Santa hat in the summer! (Made by Rae Tunic Pattern)

Simple cotton bodice with beautiful lines paired with a seersucker skirt. (Store bought pattern)

I saw a dress like this on Pinterest and thought it was so fun! This one is made out of flannel for a winter layering jumper (Self drafted pattern)

I was trying to destash my fabric and wound up quilting these capri pants. I'm such a fan of pattern on pattern! (Oliver + S pattern)

Orange skirt made for football games! I'm love how the big bow looks. Again...I have the most beautiful friends! :) (Store bought pattern)

Probably one of my proudest achievements. My first smocked insert finished in time for a Christmas outfit for Collins. (Self drafted pattern)

"Coffee Sack" dress made out an old men's shirt. The letters were hand painted on. (Store bought pattern)

Love this one too! Another shorts-all for Collins (Oliver + S Pattern)

Well that's all for now guys! Wish me luck in entering and if nothing else I can "play along" with the competition which should be fun too!

xoxo

Side Table Makeover

So here's the thing...I've always wanted to try my hand at redoing furniture. I love the before's and after's. I love taking something that looks hopeless and "saving" it.

For this side table, I used chalk paint to get that slightly distressed look that also has a beautiful matte finish.

Here's the before and after...

A little dated but not too bad right? 

WRONG. This baby was SUPER chipped on the top. This wood veneer could not be saved in it's original state. But the great thing about chalk paint is...it'll stick to anything. So all I did was sand down the parts where it was chipping to make it smooth, wipe it down, then paint right over it.

So. Much. Better. 

Annie Sloan makes chalk paint that is supposed to be incredible. But starting out, it's a little out of my price range. So I decided to make my own chalk paint using a plaster of paris recipe here.

I used this website to find a Behr color that matched Annie Sloan's colors (I used Behr Polished Pearl UL160-10 and Behr Gray Morning 490F-4). To finish off I put on two coats of Johnson Paste Wax. It worked great but was STINKY at first. Finally, I refinished the handles in Oil Rubbed Bronze using the tutorial here!

Turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. And while I love this side table, I don't have room to keep it :( It's like rescue puppies...I find them, nurse them back to health, want to keep them, but have to find them loving homes. So anyway...if you are looking for a new side table (would also work great as a bedside table!), you're in luck. I'm selling it here. It's listed in Nashville but if you are in Louisville, Atlanta, or Auburn and are interested, let me know and we can figure something out!

xoxo,

Anthropologie Drawer Knock Off Tutorial

So I need to start off this post by saying that this is purely theoretically. I get these "great" ideas but the sad part is, I don't have my own house yet so I don't need any new furniture! The end result is a picture I made in Photoshop but I wanted to make this tutorial in case anyone was in the need for a set of drawers.

The "Real Thing" is from Anthropologie here.

And without further ado...here is the picture tutorial!

What you need is:

-RAST 3 Drawer Chest from Ikea

-Minwax Stain (I'd recommend Provincial)

-Drawer Pulls

-Stencils (or make your own!)

-Black Paint (you can buy a Behr paint sample)

-Fine Grit Sandpaper

Budget Breakdown:

Chest - $34.99

Stain - $4.78

Drawer Pulls (3 @ $4.78) - $14.34

Paint Sample - $2.94

Sandpaper - $4.97

TOTAL: $61.02

Not too bad, right?

xoxo

P.S.  A little birdie told me that someone might be coming back to the blog with a post soon. Exciting right??

Relaunching Bibity Bobity Boo

Hello everyone! As many of you all know, I started Bibity Bobity Boo a few years ago selling baby booties. Well, when I went to Italy last summer, I put my shop on "Vacation Mode" and with all the craziness of the past year in school I haven't gotten it set back up.

But...I've got it all set back up now and it's ready to go!

I have all the old styles...

And a few new ones. These are in the "Pumped Up Kicks" collection. They are a lower cost option without losing any style! They feature bright and bold patterns. Each style is only available in a limited number of booties so styles will circulate through periodically.

And the "Mismatched" collection! They feature bright and bold patterns "mismatched" together. The outside of each bootie is quilting cotton and the inside is the softest polar fleece. Each style is a unique look!

As always, the booties come in a takeout box for easy gifting...

...but I've updated the logo a bit more!

And the new big addition that I'm SO excited about are custom name art paintings.

Which are fun for both nursery and kid's rooms AND for college and sorority themes!



So head on over and check it out:
www.bibitybobityboo.etsy.com

And for the next week, 
take 15% off everything in the store using the code:
relaunch15
(expires May 12!)

Thanks so much for everyone's support and I hope to see you over in the shop :)

And as a P.S...here is a behind the scenes peek at the photo shoot I did for the new baby booties!

We are lucky enough that our back yard backs up to the golf course so we get to enjoy this gorgeous view!